Thursday, November 10, 2011

Green Southern Living - part 3

Mod Twist

A breakfast nook is a great place to add pattern and personality to your kitchen. The patterned drum shade chandelier and chair cushions work so well together because the color palette is restricted to green, black, and white.

Crisp Kitchen

White Shaker-style cabinetry (combined with the white tile backsplash) keeps the look of this kitchen clean and creates the illusion of more space. Grounding the all-white look are dark granite counters, chrome hardware, and stainless steel appliances.

Natural Colors: Out of the Marshes

The lush marshes of Georgia's coast were a natural inspiration for this Sea Island home. For the dining room, the homeowner, along with interior designer Lori Cook, selected a pale green wall color with a golden undertone to complement the adjoining straw-colored foyer and living room; this creates a calming effect. This room is a good example of how to use one color throughout. What keeps it from feeling repetitive is that the shade varies in intensity. The pale green walls create a great backdrop for the stronger colors in the fabrics and accessories.

Salado View Idea House: Dining Room

Ideal for entertaining or formal meals, this dining room combines Texan drama with elegant appointments. Grounded by pine flooring, the room soars to 14 feet tall. Notable among the furnishings is a handsome, hand-hewn mesquite dining table. Six high-back, hand-crafted chairs surround it. One wall is painted a rich green and acts as a welcoming backdrop for the rustic credenza. Large pottery vases rest on wooden stands in front of the Mission-style candelabras.

Fishing for a Change

When their son turned six, these homeowners decided his nursery needed a makeover. The change began with a vibrant fish fabric used for both the bedcover and curtains. Framed trout prints reinforce the theme, while alligator green walls and brick red accents create a rich, autumnal atmosphere. Bamboo blinds and desk lamps with twig shades add texture and a natural feel to this sporty retreat.

Abberly Lane Idea House: Office

This family information center, which can be approached via the garage or the kitchen, "serves as a central catchall for the mail, keys, schoolbags, and stuff that usually gets stacked up on a desk," says architect John Tee. Cubby-hole mail slots help organize the clutter. The center can be equipped with a fax machine, computer, printer, and phone. It even includes cell phone stations where family members can charge up their mobiles.

Fun With Color

Accents of white in the quilts, painted bed, and wood trim offer a pleasing contrast to the bold colors chosen for this child's bedroom. Each window sports a different fabric treatment--a simple shade held in place by contrasting ties. With a full-size bed and a twin-size one with a trundle, the room easily sleeps four.

Nursery Know-How

This child's parents did most of the handiwork you see in their son's nursery. First, they painted the walls a moss green color, then the mom mixed all the fabrics and drew the designs for the twin bed linens. She carried her fabrics and sketches to a local seamstress who produced the ideas just as she had imagined. The curtains are simple panels combining red check fabric, a plain ecru linen, and red rickrack. The mother found a small armoire at a garage sale that was an ideal closet for baby clothes and blankets.

Simplicity Rules

This simple room, devoid of clutter, is awash with warm woods and green hues, which create a sense of peace. Natural light filters through sheer Roman shades, and elegant bed linens and an embroidered comforter enhance the grand richness of the space.

Romantic Master Bath

In this master bath, the hand-painted green walls are reminiscent of Venetian plaster. His-and-hers sinks occupy opposite sides of a peninsula countertop.

Neutral Colors: Well-Seasoned Style

Whether planning meals for just themselves or many guests, these homeowners enjoy a kitchen that's as inviting and bright as a spring garden. The large island and plentiful granite countertops provide convenient work surfaces while anchoring the kitchen.

Timeless Touches

This charming bath may look old, but it's actually brand new. A few antique accents strategically placed throughout, like apothecary-style canisters, the floor cabinet, and retro hardware fixtures, help create its timeless feel. Materials such as beaded-board and tile flooring also reflect bygone times.

Living in the Kitchen

These homeowners love the coast, so they chose a green-and-blue color palette that reminded them of the sea. Painting the previously dark cabinets brightened the space without the cost of replacing them. A functional island adds workspace and a spot for casual dining. The flooring is a synthetic wood flooring in a light finish.

Pink and Green for Spring

Pretty pastels and thoughtful details characterize the springlike feel of this bedroom. Candy-colored pink and green coat the room, and bunny rabbits scamper in every corner. The homeowner designed the window treatments herself--cutting the pink-and-green print into a diamond-patterned valance with yellow panels peaking beneath. Green tassels were added for a playful circus-tent effect.

Style With Faux Tile

This homeowner's kitchen walls once lacked visual interest. To achieve the look of a copper backsplash at a price she could afford, she used metallic paint. Click the photos below to see how.

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Note from Zuhairah

If you're like the vast majority of homeowners, you're steadily paying down your home and finding ways to improve on your investment. For most of us, our home is our largest investment. Home is the place where we live and love and where we welcome friends and family. Home is the place that reflects who we are and what we're about.